Picker&#39;s cuff



W. e. FRENCH PICKER S CUFF Filed Aug. 6, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 c. FRENCH PICKER S CUFF Filed Aug. 6', 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pa ten ted June 5, 1945 I UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE William C. French, Houston, Tex. Application August 6. 1943, Serial No. 497,652

2 Llaims.

, This invention relates to a picker's cuff, and has for the primary object to improve the type of picker's cuif set forth in my U. 8. Letters Patent No. 1,685,808, so that the use of the device may be extended into fields other than picking cotton, such as picking berries, fruits and the like, and provides means whereby the device may be readily adjusted on the hand of the picker to adapt its use for the purposes specified and to adapt the device to hands of diifer'ent sizes.

with these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangem'ent of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following descrip-' tion and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustratin a pickers cuff constructed in accordance with my ingention and showing the application thereof to a and.

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the cuif removed from the hand.

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating a panel forming a part of the cull.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the cufl adjusted for picking fruit, berries or the like and including an attachment extending between the thumb and index finger of the hand.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cuff including the attachment.

dinal edge thereof has a slight compound curvature which with an arcuate curvature of one end forms the panel with a reduced extension.

A wrist strap 6 is secured substantially intermediate the ends of the panel and adjacent one of the longitudinal edges thereof and is adapted to encircle the wrist of the user. The wrist strap is of the adjustable type including a buckle I, the tongue of which may be inserted in any one of a series of openings for the purpose of adjusting the wrist strap. By the adjustment of the buckle I the tautness of the wrist strap can be varied as well as providing means whereby the wrist strap may be opened for the application and acting with a series of openings ill in adjusting said thumb strap and for the opening of the 5 thumb strap. The thumb strap is adapted to be placed over the thumb resting at the base of the thumb to support one end of the panel. Secured to the panel adjacent its other end is a hand-encircling strap ll including a buckle I2 10 coacting with a series of openings i3 in the adjustment oi the hand-encircling strap.

As shown in Figure 1, the hand-encircling strap Ii is arranged to extend about the hand adjacent the base of the fingers by extending across the back of the hand and across the palm of the hand, passing between the thumb and index finger.

The hand-encircling strap II and the thumb encircling strap 8 coact with each other and the wrist strap in positioning the panel so that one edge thereof lies close or contacts with the Wrist, while the panel from said longitudinal edge inclines outwardly from the palm of the hand coacting therewith in forming a pocket in which Vpicked materials may accumulate, or in other words, to accommodate a greater amount of materials than would be possible without the use of the panel leaving the fingers and thumb of the hand free for the picking action. By adjusting the thumb and hand straps the inclination of the panel with respect to the palm of the hand can bevaried.

When picking cotton or similar material it is desirable that the panel extend from the wrist at a greater angle than when pickin fruits,

berries and the like.

When picking berries it is desirable that the panel be adjusted closer to the palm of th hand, as clearly shown in Figure 4, and to employ in connection therewith a panel l4 extending between the index finger and the thumb. The panel is provided with slots 15 through which the thumb and hand-encircling straps pass and is also provided with loop members i6 one of which encircles the index finger and the other the thumb. The panel i4 prevents the fruits or berries from slipping between the thumb and index finger.

The sustaining straps are easily adjustable to bring the panel closer to the palm of the hand for adaptingthe device for picking berries and the like. When the device is properly adjusted for this kind of work, the pointed end of the panel extends outwardly and beyond the little so finger with sufilcient clearance that the little finger may be moved freely toward and from the palm of the hand without contacting the panel.

A device of the character shown in the drawings and described in detail in the foregoing specification is extremely simple to adjust to the hand of the user and will permit picking operations' to be carried out rapidly and less tiring to the user. Also permits the device to be used for picking cotton, berries, fruits or the like. Further, it will be seen that the device may be made to properly fit and operate in conjunction with hands of different sizes. Also it is to be understood that the device when manufactured will be constructed in pairs for right and left hands so that the picker can use a device on each hand.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a picker's cufi, a panel, means adjustably mounting said panel to extend outwardly in an inclined plane to the pahn or a person's hand,

said panel extending from the thumb of a person thumb and index finger of the persons hand and forming a continuation of the pocket.

2. In a pickers cufl, an elongated flexible panel adapted for positioning transversely across the palm of the hand of a person, an adjustable wrist encircling strap secured to the panel at an intermediate portion adjacent its inner edge, an adjustable hand encircling strap secured to the panel adjacent its inner edge at one end thereof, an adjustable thumb encircling strap secured to the panel adjacent its inner edge at the other end thereof, a second flexible panel having slots to receive the thumb and hand encircling straps; and loop shaped members secured ,to the second panel and one receiving the index finger and the other the thumb of a person's hand, said panels cooperating to form a pocket across the palm of the hand and at the thumb and index finger thereof.

WILLIAM C. FRENCH. 

